The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-12-08
BLAINE ON CLEVELAND.
The Presidents Free Trade Message
Examined and Criticised.
Why Tobacco Should be Cheap and
Whiskey Should be Taxed.
Effect Of the Proposed Changes in
the Tariff.

was especially interested In the CON-
ments OF the London papers. These papers
all assume to declare the message a free
trade manifesto, evidently anticipating an
enlarged market for English fabrics in the
United States as consequence of the Presi-
dents recommendations. Perhaps that fact
stamped the character pf the message more
clearly than any words Of mine can. They
simply mean that the President recommend
ed what, in the United States, is known as a
revenue tariff, rejecting the protective fea-
ture as the object and not even permitting
protection to result freely as an incident to
revenue duties. For the first time in the his
tory of the United States, the President
recommends retaining the internal tax that
the tariff may be forced down even below
the fair revenue standard. He recommends
the tax on tobacco be retained and tnat thus
many millions annually be levied on do
mestic product which might far better come
from tariff on foreign fabrics. should
urge the repeal of the tobacco tax at once,
even before the Christmas holidays. 1t
would bring great relief to the growers of
tobacco all over the country and the world.
and, moreover, materially lessen the price
co to millions is necessity, but
the President calls it luxury.
1t is such luxury as tea or coffee. Watch
the men on the farm. in the coal mine, along
the railroads, in the iron foundry or in any
calling, and you will find 50 in 100 chewing
while at work. After each meal the same
proportion seek the solace Of pipe or cigar.
These men pay millions Of the tobacco tax and
pay on every plug and cigar an enhanced
price which the tax enables the manufacturer
and retailer to impose. The only excuse
for such a tax is that Of actual necessity, un-
der which the government found itself dur
ing the war and the years Immediately fol-
lowing. To retain the tax now in order TO
destroy the protection which would in
cidentally follow the raising of the same
amount of money on foreign imports is GER
tainly a most extraordinary policy for our
government.
would not advise the repeal of the
whiskey tax. Other considerations are to be
taken into account In regard to whiskeys
There is the moral side of it. To cheapen
the price of whiskey is to increase its con-
sumption enormously. The would be no
sense in urging that reform Is wrought by
high license in many States, If the National
government neutralizes its good effect by
cents a gallon. Whiskey would be every
where distilled If the surveillance Of the
government was withdrawn by the remission
Of the tax and Illicit sales could not then be
prevented even by policy Of as rigorous
searching as that with which Russia pursues
the Nihilists. 1t would destroy high license
at once in the States.
Whisky has done a vast deal of harm in
the Unied States. would try to make it
do some good. would use the tax to fortify
the citi , on the seaboard. In view of the
powerful letter addressed to the Democratic
party on the subject Of fortifcation by the
late Samuel j. Tilden in 1885, / am amazed
that no attention has been paid to the SUBJ
jcct by Democratic administration. Never
before in the history of the world has any
O0VprUmQnt allONQd the Qitiac nm, ffa
seaboard like Philadelphia New York, Bos-
ton, Baltimore, New Orleans and San Fran
cisco, to remain defenceless. After fortifca-
tlons were constructed, / would still maintain
the tax on whiskey. So long as there is
whiskey l would tax it, and when the ma
tional government had no use for the money
/ would divide the tax among the Federal
Union with the specific object of tightening
the tax on real estate. The houses and farms
of the y hole country pay too large tax in
propo on to the total taxes. II ultimately
relic. could be given in that direction. 1t
would. in my Judgment, be a wise and
benefieent policy.
Some honest and misguided friends of
temperance urge that the government should
not use the money derived from the tax on
whiskey. My reply is that the tax on whis-
key by the federal government, with the
suppression of all Illicit distillation and the
consequent enhancement of price, has been
a powerful agent in temperance reform by
putting 1t beyond the reach of so many. In
The amount of whiskey consumed in the
United States per capita today is not more
than 40 per cent. of that consumed thirty
years ago. The whiskey tax should be SO
modified as to permit all who use pure alco-
hOl in the arts and mechanical pursuits to
have it free. In all such cases the tax
could be remitted without danger Just as
now the tax on spirits exported is remitted.
| should seriously object to repeal of the
duty on wool. 1t would work great injus-
tiee to many interests and seriously discoWr-
age what we should honestly encourage,
viz, sheep culture among the farmers
throughout the union. II the Presidents
recommendation is adopted it would possibly
increase our export trade In few articles Of
peculiar construction but it would increase
the import trade tenfold in the great staple
fabrics of woolen and Gotten goods, and iron
and steel in all the thousand and one
How are we to export staple fabrics to the
markets of Europe unless we make them
cheaper than they do in Europe? and how
are we to manufacture them cheaper unless
we get cheaper labor? The question of la
Dor underlies the whole subject. 1t is. in
force the carpenters, masons, iron-workers
and mechanics in every department to work
as cheaply and live as poorly in the United
States as similar workmen do in Europe, we
can, of course, manufacture just as cheaply
as they do. But am totally opposed to the
policy that would entail such results. To at
tempt it is equivalent to social and financial
revolution. that would bring untold distress.
The moment you begin to import freely from
Europe you drive our workmen from me-
to become tillers of the soil,
increasing steadily the agricultural
product and decreasing steadily the large
home demand which constantly enlarges as
work great injury to the farmer, Cutting the
maket with his products and tending to con-
stantly lower prices. The tendency in Rus
sia and the Asiatlc possessions of England
is toward a large increase in the grain sup
ply, grain being raised by the cheapest possi-
BILE labor. Manufacturing countries will buy
bread stuffs where they can get them cheap
est, enlarging the home market for the
American farmer. Being checked, he would
search in vain for one of the same value in
foreign States already checked by great COM
petition abroad. Never was there a time
when the increase in the large ihome market
was so valuable.
The best proof is that farmers are prosper
GUS in proportion to their nearness to manu-
featuring centres. l do not mean to imply
that there should be no reduction in the ma
tional surplus. l would reduce it by a
prompt repeal of the tobacco tax, and make
some changes in the tariff, not to reduce pro-
lection, but to wisely foster it. No great
system OF revenue like our tariff can operate
with efficiency and equity unless changes
are closely watched, and the law promptly
adapted to the changes. would make no
change to impair the protective character of
the whole body of the tariff laws.
The Presidents recommendation to admit
raw material will not find strong support.
III the home trade in raw material Is de-
stroyed or seriously injured, the railroads
will be the first to feel it. If that
vast interest is crippled in any direc-
tion, the financial fabric of the whole
country will feel it quickly and seriously.
The Presidents message will bring the
country where 1t ought to be brought, to
full and fair contest on the question Of pro-
lection.
A Previous Interview.
NEW York, Dec. 7.-G. w. Smalley tele-
graphs to the Tribune from Paris today as
follows:
Mr.. Blaine and his family are still in Paris
and their movements appear to be watched
as assiduously as ever.
Many extraordinary statements about Mr.
Blaine. his opinions, and his sayings and do
ings are transmitted to the American press
The Chicago reporter. who has followed him
all over Europe, has not deserted him while
in Paris. Other reporters also have shown
him many attentions, more, perhaps than he
cares for.
Mr.. Blaine authorizes me to say that the